Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books - Kirsten Miller
Contemporary Fiction
This librarian was happy to have read Kirsten Millers’ Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books. In a painfully true to life way Lula Dean has fought successfully to ban all sorts of books from her little Georgia town’s public library. Using fear of the lgbtq+, of people of other races, of feminine mystique and power to win community members to her side. She creates her own little library and fills it with titles she considers appropriate. Beverly is devastated and stores the removed books in her basement hoping for the day they will be returned to the library. On a visit home, Beverly’s daughter Lindsey covertly places these books - disguised in the jackets of Lula’s “acceptable” books right in Lula’s library.
A lovely type of chaos ensues as reader after reader is surprised by a book they have chosen from Lula Dean’s little library. A meek wife learns to tap into her own power. The mother of a neo nazi reads about Anne Frank. A young man who is gay finds a book to which he can relate. In a relatively short amount of time the community undergoes rather a large change - almost unbelievably. Structurally, each chapter focuses on a specific book - real or imagined along with a character or family. I love the short story feel of it. This structure also allows the reader to get to know several people quite well. Even as I wonder at the possibility that so many kinds of problems exist in a small town, my experience as a teacher in just such a place tells me probably so. Miller expertly balances very serious topics with satire making a difficult book a bit easier to read.
My whole career and much of my volunteer hours speak to the importance that I give to the reading of good books. In a time when challenges increase and bans are resulting more often this book speaks well to the power of reading to educate and support. Kirsten Miller tackles a series of very serious subjects effectively n Lula Dean’s Little Library Of Banned Books.
Book cover of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books